Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-08
THE WINEMAKERS.
They Meet to Urge the Passage of the
Bogus Wine BILL"

[San Francisco Post. January 9Th
The regular quarterly session of the
| Grape Growers and Winemakers' Associa-
ton was held yesterday at the rooms of the
| State Viticultural Commission. The Di-
| rectors met at ten o'clock and by resolution
decided to call a general meeting of the
winemakers of this State, beginning March
! LIST and to continue four days. A COM
| mittee was appointed to make the neces-
sary arrangements. On motion OF NJ NJ
| Estee the following resolution was adopted
| Resolued That we do respectfully request the
Legislature of the State of California to provide
| by law for the making of chattle mortgages
| upon wine and brandy and the cooperage in
which it is contained.
! The resolution was subsequently, in
dorsed by the Association.
Immediately after the Directors adj
journed, the Association was called to
order by the President, II. w. Mcintyre.
Norman ]. Coleman, National Commits
sioner, was invited to attend the conyen-
| ton of the winemakers next March. A
communication was received from Captain
| CHI de Ste. Hubert, the Fresno vineyardist,
asking name for a new brand of wine re-
Gently made in that district The must is
| obtained from Fehr Szwego grapes, and is
| fermented in three days to nine per cent.
sugar. One-eighth of Carignan, fermented
to zero. is added, together with twelve per
cent spirit and the cask closed. The wine
| is said to be very fine A sample was sent
| by Captain Ste Hubert, but it was spilled
| in transit.
The greater part of the morning session
was taken up by warm discussion over a
proposition to raise money to secure the
| passage of the bogus wine bill now pend
| ing before Congress. Professor Hilgard
| began the debate by suggesting that an as
sessment be levied upon the owners of all
vineyards, according to the acreage of bear
| ing vines or by the ton of grapes produced.
| John A Doyle followed in a long speech,
in which he demanded that the law be so
made as to define what constitutes pure
wine, and to tax all others. He supported
his position in half-hour address, closing
with the recommendation that the Legisla-
| ture grant an appropriation to make COM
plete directory of the vineyards of the en-
| tire State His ideas as to what should
constitute wine were warmly Endorsed
by Arpad Haraszthy.
He said California must insist that
| wines shall be defined as the fermented
juice of the grape, and nothing else. If
they are fortified, grape spirit only must
be used-not potato spirit or any other
kind of alcohol That is what we
must have. There is a feeling in
the East that cane sugar may be safely
added to the wine while fermenting, and
we may humor the Eastern people that
muchi; but would rather see all our meas
ures fail than 70 have any other than grape
spirit used as wine fortitiers without paying
| the revenue"
N. NJ Estee made few remarks about
| the bills before Congress, saving" 1t seems
| to me that it is all very well for us to get
some kind of legislation at Washington,
| but we ought to begin at home. remember
very well at the time of the death of Gen.
Miller several Congressman spoke of our
| having no protection from spurious wines,
even in this wine State. This spurious
wine bill before Congress is very confplica-
| ted, and would much prefer to have our
own Legislature settle upon just what we
want, and then present our law to Con-
gre:s for approval"
| A hot debate on the bill ensued, Mr..
Doyle declaring that the spurious wine bill
| would be utterly worthless if passed, and
| asserting that the man who wrote the def
| milton of pure wine is consummate ass or
| else a knave. Finally the subject was
dropped without any definite action being
| taken.
A motion was carried appointing Messrs.
Mcintyre, Doyle, Rixford ]. Kohler and
Shillaber a committee to draft spurious
| wine bill suitable to the California growers
| and present it to the Legislature for pas
| sage.
The afternoon session was occupied by
Professor Hilgard in explaining the differ
ence in wines made from the same must
| by different processes of fermentation.